Article as word file
March Village Green Corner
Time to Build the Ark Again
Floods. Hurricanes. Drought. The outlook for the world's weather
isn't good. All over the world, we're beginning to see the effects
of a dramatic rise in average temperatures - commonly known as
global warming. The climate is changing, and the effects could
Of course, climate change is nothing unusual. It's a natural phenomenon,
part of the process by which the earth maintains the equilibrium
that allows it to sustain life. What is unusual, however, is the
rate at which the climate is changing at present. Natural climate
change is normally a slow process, happening over thousands of
years. It gives the earth's inhabitants a chance to adapt or migrate.
In comparison, this new change - provoked not by natural forces,
but by human activity - is happening at breakneck speed; and it
is precisely that speed which makes it such a serious threat to
the future of life on earth. The journal Nature reports that up
to a third of the world's species may be doomed to extinction
Humans, the source of global warming, potentially face the same
threat as all other species. But not all humans are equally affected.
Our ability to escape the effects of climate change is proportional
to the technological and financial resources we have at our disposal.
So the rich world, which is responsible for the overwhelming majority
of the pollution that causes climate change, gets off relatively
scot-free (albeit with increased insurance premiums), while the
poor pay the price as the increasingly unstable climate makes
it ever harder to eke out a living from the land.
This is why climate change is a Gospel issue, and one that all
Christians should take seriously. Jesus' "manifesto commitment",
in Luke 4.18, is "to bring good news to the poor"; and
the Bible is full of evidence of God's passion for justice for
the poor. To destabilise the climate as we are doing is an affront
to the Creator of this wonderful world; and that the poor should
bear the brunt of its effects is an outrage, which Christians
But what can ordinary folk like you and I do about it? It's easy
to feel helpless in the face of the powerful economic and political
forces, which are at the root of global warming. But a journey
of a thousand miles starts with a single step; and Operation Noah
offers each of us the chance to take a few simple steps in the
1. You can tell the government that you think this is important:
Sign the Climate Covenant and add your voice to the growing call
for political action on climate change. But crucially the Climate
Covenant is also an undertaking to take action oneself.
2. You can take action yourself: There are plenty of simple things
you can do to cut down on the greenhouse gases you create. The
most effective is to switch your electricity supply to one of
the renewable energy products available on the market. Changing
supplier is quick and easy - it just takes a phone call, and it
needn't cost any more than your existing supplier.
3. You can spread the word: Tell your family, friends and work
colleagues about Operation Noah, and encourage them to get on
board. You can download our free "Ark in a Box" campaign
pack from www.christian-ecology.org.uk/noah.
You can pick up a leaflet from the back of [your
local church] that will take you through these
steps, or you and your household can just sign the Climate Covenant
The Climate Covenant
"World leaders must act to avert dangerous climate change,
and give everyone fair access to energy in a sustainable world
We ask the UK government to lead negotiations.
We will take action personally to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
Signed: Name (s):
Postcode: ......... Date: ..........
( Magazine name and date)
Please cut out this form and send it to: Operation Noah, FREEPOST
SE8672, 9, Nuthatch Drive, Earley, Reading, RG6 5ZZ.
Operation Noah is named after the man who, in the face of seemingly
overwhelming odds, chose to co-operate with God and answer his
call. Through Noah's obedience, life on earth was preserved. Humanity
today stands before a similar challenge, this time from global
warming. Join us in answering the call, and take a stand against
Operation Noah is a project of Christian Ecology Link, registered
charity number 327844, and of Churches Together in Britain and
Ireland. This article was contributed by Jeremy Hicks.
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